Wheel of Time: The 4th Age

The Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend soon fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Fourth Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long passed, a wind arose over the frigid north. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

Southward the wind blew, passing the mountain once known as Shayol Ghul, where the Dragon Reborn gave his life to save us all in ages past. Onward it rushed, down through the lands of the blight, where Shadowspawn once roamed in large numbers, but now where other dangers lurk…

Onward the wind blew, passing through the Borderlands, and through the streets of Tar’Valon, rippling the great banners of Malkier atop the gleaming towers and glorious white battlements of the great Borderland Capital. In the center of the city stood the gleaming White Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world. It is here where the Aes Sedai, Servants of All, guide the fates of nations. It is here where the Amyrlin seat guides and rules her people.

Onward the wind blows, passing by the great volcano of Dragonmount, with its smoking volcanic crater towering miles above the river that wound around its base. Southwest the winds turn, passing through Kinslayer’s Dagger, blowing onward through Jengai Pass in the Spine of the World, where Dwarves dig deeper, ever deeper, in search of precious jewels, ores, and gemstones. Out into the Aiel waste the wind rushed, over the cracked and parched land where Aiel Tribes constantly hone their skills with the spear, and where bands of roving monsters prey upon the weak. Heated by the blistering sun, the wind rises over the Cliffs of Dawn and barrels down through the mysterious lands of Shara, where city states constantly vie for territory and power, amidst tangled alliances and betrayals. This once mighty empire, one that endured for 3000 years after the Breaking, now forever shattered at the end of the Last Battle.

Over the Morenal Ocean the wind passes, as it journeys onward to Seanchan, land of exotic dangers and intrigue. Once shattered and broken by the hand of the Shadow, the land now stands unified under the Crystal Throne once more. Lazily the wind drifts over the Aryth Ocean, returning to the Wetlands. Where it passes over the Empire of the Raven, the lands Seanchan conquered at the end of the Third Age. Though now mostly autonomous, their leaders still swear loyalty to the Crystal Throne.

Picking up energy again, the wind rises higher into the sky, swiftly overcoming the Mountains of Mist and barreling down into the great nation of Manetheren, and passing through its Western Capital — the city of Aeomon. As the wind passes, the Banner of the Gryphon waves proudly atop the Shining Walls of the city formerly known as Emond's Field, testifying to the strong will of its people, alongside the ancient banners of old: The Red Wolf of House Aybara, the Lion of Andor, and the ancient Red Eagle of Old Manetheren. Passing out of the two Rivers, the wind rushes over Caemlyn, rebuilt in the years following the Last Battle. In the center of the city, where the old palace of Andor used to be, stands a giant tower made of glistening Black Stone, taller than any building save it be its northern twin, the White Tower. It is here where the Guardians watch over the world, here stands the seat of the Asha'man, and the great Tamyrlin; here stands a beacon of hope and defiance against the Shadow, hand in hand with their sisters, the Aes Sedai. Faster the wind blows, passing rapidly over the great city of Avalon, the Eastern Capital of Manetheren, and the Court of the Sun… located where the river Alguenya merges with the river River Erinin.

Southward the winds turn, passing through Cairhien once more and entering the Great Empire of Tear, where shipping, trading, and commerce abound. From Illian in the Southwest, to Mayene in the southeast, all the way up to the mountains that form its Northern border with Manetheren, Tear is vast and thriving. Further southward the wind travels, now on its last few gusts… through the Sea of Storms, where the Islands of the sea folk lie, and onward to the mysterious Land of the Madmen, where Dragons are rumored to have sojourned, and where many other mysteries await.

Much has changed since the Dragon Reborn made his stand against the Dark One. Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Orcs now walk alongside Human and Ogier. Horrible creatures once thought lost to the turnings of the Wheel have returned, making the world much more dangerous and mysterious than it used to be. Ancient secrets and Hidden Treasures are waiting to be uncovered. Portal Stones have activated and surged with power, creating gateways to alternate realities… alien worlds long forgotten: The Ethereal Plane, the Shadow Plane, the Elemental Planes, and the bizarre Outer Planes. Hell & Heaven… the Chaos of the Abyss… are all open now to explore. So come brave adventurer… do you have what it takes to explore the Great Pattern of the Wheel?

This is the 4th Age… the Age of Adventurers. Friends, welcome back to the beloved world of Robert Jordan. Welcome back to… the Wheel of Time!